Justice: Life of Turnabout
by Child of Ragnarok
Summary: The third and final installment of the Justice trilogy. They say that it's always the darkest just before dawn. Oneshot - rated T for mentions of character death. If you have not yet done so, please read Justice: A Turnabout Gone Wrong and Justice: Five Stages of Turnabout before reading this. SPOILERS FOR DUAL DESTINIES AHEAD


**Disclaimer** **: I don't own the Ace Attorney series. (If I did, I'd be localizing Dai Gyakuten Saiban right about now. *grumble*)**

 **This is a fan work that is not intended to monetize in any way. The Ace Attorney series and all characters and concepts within are the property of Capcom.**

 **This work contains spoilers for _Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies_. If you haven't done so, please read the preceding entries in the Justice trilogy: _A Turnabout Gone Wrong_ and _Five Stages of Turnabout_ before reading _Life of Turnabout_.**

* * *

 **LIFE OF TURNABOUT**

 _by Child of Ragnarok_

* * *

Mommy calls her _ohime-chan_. Athena doesn't know what it means. Miss Aura, the lady Mommy works with calls her _princess_. That, she knows what it means, although she can't be certain why Mommy looks so pointedly at Miss Aura whenever she says it.

* * *

Athena never knew her Daddy. On those occasions when she had dared to ask where Daddy went, Mommy would always look sadly at her, so she stopped asking. She doesn't want Mommy to be sad.

* * *

Mommy is working on something. Athena doesn't know what. She doesn't like it, because Mommy never has time for her. Not that the robots are bad playmates. They're funny. Athena likes Ponco and Clonco very much. But it would be nice if Mommy could spare some time for her. None of the adults ever have time for her. Director Cosmos tussles her hair when he sees her, but doesn't take the time for her. She knows there's no point in asking Miss Aura for her time.

* * *

Athena doesn't like the headphones Mommy gave her. They give her a headache. When asking Mommy why she has to wear them, Mommy tries to explain, but it doesn't make any sense. All Athena knows is that she hates the headphones.

* * *

Athena doesn't like the other children at school. They're too noisy and she can't play with them. So she spends much of her recess simply sitting on a secluded piece of the school yard, drawing with street crayons.

"Hi."

Athena looks at the sudden appearance of another girl. She has big brown eyes and brown hair with a sunflower in it. It's one of the girls in her class - Juniper, she thinks her name was. She doesn't really see her that often, though.

"What are you drawing?"

Athena shakes her head. "I don't know. Things."

"Can I join you?"

Athena looks blankly at Juniper for a moment. Why would Juniper want to spend time with her? Not that she's going to complain - maybe she'll finally have a playmate. She smiles and nods. "Sure."

* * *

Mom has a new visitor. He's tall, very tall, and he has unruly black hair and wears a serious-looking coat. Athena watches them from through the open door of the psychology lab as they're talking and laughing. Even Miss Aura seems to like him, which is unusual - she has long since learned that people in general aren't Miss Aura's cup of tea.

Then Mom, Miss Aura and the new man exit the lab. Mommy looks at Athena. "Aren't you going to introduce yourself, Athena?"

She gazes at the tall man, but she's overwhelmed by his seriousness. The man appears to notice her hesitation, because he gets down on one knee so he's more on her level. For all his seriousness, he does have kind eyes. "Nice to meet you, Athena", the man says. "My name is Simon."

"Hi", Athena manages to squeak, feeling herself blush.

He smiles in response.

* * *

Simon visits her mother a few times a week. They seem to talk about something important, although Athena doesn't know what. Not that she ever really understood what Mom was doing. Athena usually sits in the next room, drawing or quietly playing. Simon usually makes a point of talking to her for a bit after he's visited her mother, maybe sometimes joining her in her games. Unlike Mommy, he always listens to her and seems interested, laughing and asking follow-up questions on cue. What's more, his heart tells her that he's genuinely interested, not just polite.

Athena is happy. It feels like she gained a big brother.

* * *

Athena doesn't understand. Why is Mom lying on the floor? And who is that figure next to her wearing a mask and her jacket? Is it Simon under the mask? But then why does he seem so agitated?

When the figure makes a run for her, she notices that his body language is very much _not_ that of Simon. Panicking, she reaches for the nearest object - apparently, it's Miss Aura's toolbox. She feels a warm splash over her hand, brief pain in her side, and then nothing.

* * *

When she comes to, Athena is in the lab again. Mom hasn't woken up yet. Is she sleeping on the floor?

When Athena calls for her, she doesn't respond. That's strange. It's not that Mom usually has time for her, but she never _ignores_ Athena outright. Athena can't shake the feeling that something is wrong with Mom.

Fortunately, she's seen how Mom operates the robot assembler. She quickly directs Ponco to lift Mom onto the table.

And just as Athena's about to press the button, Simon enters the room. All color drains from his face as he takes in the scene.

Athena feels the need to explain what she's doing. "Something's wrong with Mom, so I'm taking her apart to fix her!"

As she says it, she feels herself getting dizzy, the shock finally getting to her. The last she sees is Simon's panicked and teary gaze.

* * *

Why won't they listen?

Why have they decided that Simon's the killer?

She can hear his heart loud and clear, and it's screaming that he didn't do it! So why won't they listen?

She looks pleadingly from the defense attorney to the prosecutor and even to the judge, but they all look at her with faces set in stone, impassive. She can hear the court's murmur and hears in their hearts that they don't buy anything she says.

Then the judge dismisses her from the stand and declares an end to the trial.

"This court hereby finds the defendant, Simon Blackquill... guilty."

She can only watch helplessly as Simon is led away in chains.

* * *

She runs.

She doesn't want anything to do with the Space Center. Not the place where Mommy died, not with the astronauts, not Director Cosmos, not Miss Aura. She can't stand the sympathy, or (in Miss Aura's case) the suspicion and... hate?

She runs.

She runs, unseeing.

She stumbles.

And a solid body keeps her from colliding with the ground.

Sobbing, she looks up at the person. He looks a bit older than her, maybe fifteen or sixteen, wears a red jacket and blue jeans, a clunky-looking gold bracelet, and has a peculiar hairstyle; short hair, except for his bangs, which are fashioned to look like a pair of antennae, or maybe horns. There's another boy next to him who looks about the same in age. His black, unruly hair is kept at bay with a sports visor.

"Are you okay?" An earnest question from the red-clad boy. She hears a hint of surprise, but mostly sympathy and concern in his voice.

"N-no", Athena sobs, and without thinking, she throws her arms around the boy and cries into his shoulder. He seems surprised, but lets her cry, patting her on her back and stroking her hair.

Finally, she pulls back and looks at the stain on the boy's shoulder. Tears and god knows what else. "Sorry for messing up your jacket, Mister..." she says.

"It's alright." The boy smiles in understanding. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"N-no thanks." She aches to talk about it, but she doesn't want to let anyone else near her in case she loses them again.

The boy looks concerned, rubbing a strange bracelet on his wrist, but doesn't push the subject further.

"What are you doing out here?" the other boy asks.

"I... I don't know. I was running away from the Space Center and..."

"The Space Center?" the boy with the antennae says. "What were you doing there?"

"I... I live there." Or lived. She doesn't know what will happen to her now.

"Oh." The boy with the visor looks at her concernedly. "Do they know you're out here?"

"I don't think they care." She whispers, close to tears again.

"Of course they do." The boy with the bracelet smiles reassuringly. "We're actually on our way there now. My buddy Clay here needed to see one of the astronauts about something."

"That's right!" the boy named Clay says. "Clay Terran, future Ace Astronaut, reporting for duty!"

His bravado makes Athena giggle slightly.

"Come on", the other boy says. "Let's go back there. I'm sure they're worried about you."

"...Okay."

* * *

Within a few days, Athena is sent off to live with a relative in Europe, a friend of her mom's. Athena stares out of the plane window without really seeing.

She keeps thinking about the two boys. Hadn't she seen them in the past? Maybe. She did recall a boy who looked like Clay walking around with that one astronaut with the funny hair, who looked like a rocket. She couldn't remember that other boy, though.

What was his name again? It was something odd. Eustace? No, not Eustace.

Not that it matters. She'll probably never see him again.

* * *

Athena doesn't remember much about the rest of her adolescence. Snippets of her foster family's disdain for Simon, a few scathing reports about how he had ushered in some "dark age of the law" or other. She doesn't care. She knows he's innocent. And she's going to prove it, no matter what the cost.

She studies as hard as she can. Law and psychology. She wants to be ready to prove Simon's innocence. She reads everything she can about the goings-on of the U.S. legal system. Apparently, it's in bad shape overall, not only because of Simon's confession, but also because of a disbarred defense attorney known as Phoenix Wright. Maybe this Wright individual can shed some light on the situation?

Her chance encounter with Wright is quite revealing. He tells her about his own becoming a defense attorney solely to rescue a prosecutor; it inspires her. Maybe, just maybe, if she becomes a defense attorney, then maybe she can save Simon the same way?

She works. She studies. The months pass by in a haze. She works. She studies. She finally passes the bar exam.

Simon's execution looms. She has to hurry.

* * *

Athena hasn't been back in Los Angeles for years, but Mr. Wright's invitation is intriguing, and she knows about his reputation to be able to turn impossible cases around. If anybody's going to be able to bring about the miracle she needs to save Simon, it's going to be him.

When he meets up with her at the airport, he tells her that his junior associate is in a place called Nine-Tails Vale, investigating a murder, and that she can assist him if she'd like. She thanks him and takes off.

The journey itself is fairly uneventful. But the thick-headed police officer at the scene just won't listen to her. And when he's trying to grab her, some deep reflex takes over and she throws him over her shoulder... right onto a person she hadn't seen a second before.

"Ow..." he grumbles. "Think you could watch out for the bystanders next time?"

"Sorry..." Athena can't believe it. Those horns... the red clothes... the bracelet... It's the boy from seven years before! He doesn't seem to remember her, though.

The investigation passes. The boy from seven years before introduces himself as Apollo Justice (not Eustace) and they get cracking on the case.

Athena can't help but feel lonely when neither Apollo nor Simon makes any show of recognizing her. But achingly slowly, she and Apollo fight through for Mr. Tenma.

* * *

Time passes, and Apollo still makes no mention of having met Athena in the past. It seems like he's forgotten their encounter completely.

They fight for Junie in Athena's first trial as defense leader, with Apollo by her side. His calm and collected demeanor is what helps her through the trial. And she feels a twinge of a very specific blend of emotions that she never expected to feel for him.

* * *

Watching Apollo break down as he receives the news about his childhood friend is devastating to Athena. Even so when she hears in his heart that there's something he's hiding from her.

She can tell that he barely manages to hold himself together as he defends his old hero.

And then the warning comes. She desperately tries to pull Apollo with her, but he tears himself out of her grasp and goes to save Junie.

And then the bomb explodes.

* * *

Athena finds it difficult to concentrate on the trial while Apollo's lying in the hospital, seemingly fighting for his life.

But her boss holds everything together and dismantles Payne's case in no time, saving Junie and implicating Ted Tonate.

And then Mr. Wright receives the phone call. His features and his tone of voice shift to the worst possible news, and Athena wants to scream.

* * *

It can't end this way.

Surely it can't end this way. Apollo's fine. He's the king of being fine!

He wakes up briefly. She can't help herself, with her emotions running haywire; she kisses him. And what's more, he reciprocates. For all her devastation, Athena is happy.

And then Apollo collapses again, and this time, he doesn't wake up.

* * *

Somehow, her boss manages to pull a miracle out of a wormhole and saves Simon _and_ herself, whilst identifying her mother's murderer in the process. And yet, the victory is bittersweet. Apollo should have been here to enjoy it with them.

She attends Tonate's trial. Watching Simon tear into him is strangely satisfying, but she still knows it won't bring Apollo back.

She leaves for Europe, unable to stand being in the agency any longer. Not where her colleague, the man she liked... maybe even loved... had worked before he lost his life.

The next five years pass in a blur. She leaves for Europe. Wake up. Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. She drowns herself in work, to avoid having to think. Wake up. Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

Then she returns to America at the invitation of her boss' old friend. She meets the man she had, indeed, come to love, once more, and the encounter brings her solace and closure.

She's ready to return.

* * *

Through her marriage to Simon, she becomes Athena Cykes-Blackquill, senior attorney and second-in-command at the Wright & Co. Law Offices.

A year into their marriage, Athena gets pregnant. The pregnancy was an accident, but she and Simon were both in agreement that they _wanted_ this baby, to have a legacy. Her pregnancy is rather uneventful, and Simon, Mr. Wright, Hugh, Serena and Trucy are all wonderful, helping her with whatever she needs whenever she needs it.

Their baby is born. A beautiful baby girl, with her mother's hair and her father's eyes. Little Metis Cykes-Blackquill soon becomes the light of both her and Simon's life. Even though he has his hands full with Mia and Apollo, Grandpa Nick makes a point that his door is always open for her, and so is Auntie Trucy's.

Two and a half years later, Metis' brother is born. They name him Bobby, for the detective who was lost to faceless evil.

She watches her children grow into radically different personalities. Metis is very assertive while Bobby is more shy. In return, Bobby has a readier head on his shoulders than Metis. Also, Metis was a _nightmare_ during puberty, to say the least. Endless shouting matches with her parents, complete disregard for curfew, and the occasional illegal drink... Thankfully, Bobby is much calmer during his pubescent years. Thankfully, none of her children appeared to have inherited her hearing.

When Metis displays an interest in engineering, Auntie Aura is only too happy to take her under her wing, and after graduating high school she goes overseas to study engineering and physics in Germany. Bobby, on the other hand, studies hard, passes the bar exam, and becomes a prosecutor like his father (whom Athena notices is struggling not to weep at his bar ceremony). And Athena's pride and love knows no bounds.

* * *

Athena is content. Working cases by day, coming home to a loving husband and children, then later only to a loving husband as the children have flown the coop, with only the subtly growing streaks of slate gray in Simon's hair and the occasional wrinkle that refuses to straighten itself out to indicate the passages of time.

Almost before she knows it, Mr. Wright is retiring, handing over the office primarily to her. The shift in responsibilities is almost overwhelming at first, but she learns to cope with her responsibilities as CEO of the newly-dubbed Cykes & Co. Law Offices.

* * *

She had known it was going to happen at some point when she got to the age she was. But the saying turned out to be true - as much as she tries to prepare for it, she's never ready.

 _Aura Blackquill, endlessly beloved sister. 1990 - 2051._ Aura never got to retire - a freak accident at work put a stop to that.

 _Hugh O'Conner, endlessly beloved husband. 2002 - 2059._ He was murdered by the very man he was defending, who turned out to be the true culprit all along. The case was prosecuted by one Bobby Cykes-Blackquill, High Prosecutor.

 _Iris Wright, endlessly beloved wife, mother and grandmother. 1993 - 2064._ She contracted erysipelas and never recovered.

 _Phoenix Wright, endlessly beloved father and grandfather. 1992 - 2077._ Having lived to the ripe old age of 85, he caught an unknown infection and couldn't shrug it off.

 _Simon Cykes-Blackquill, endlessly beloved husband and father. 1999 - 2081._ After combatting years of crippling dementia, Simon's heart had finally given out one day. It had been heartwrenching, watching the man she loved go through those changes, and not being able to do a damn thing about it; when he finally breathes his last, she feels a guilty sense of relief mingled with her endless grief, knowing that he can't suffer anymore.

Thankfully, Athena's bond with her children remains as strong as ever.

* * *

 _Beep._

Athena can't help but experience a strange sense of _déjà vu_. Hickfield Hospital. She has been in here before. She has been in this very room before.

 _Beep._

How ironic, that this was the room where Apollo had lost his life.

 _Beep._

At the ripe old age of 85, Athena had collapsed one day in the mid-afternoon. Bobby's husband, Jones, had found her, and she was immediately brought to the hospital. But there was nothing that could be done. Athena's organs were simply starting to shut down. It appeared that her end was about to come.

 _Beep._

Metis, Bobby and Jones are standing around her sickbed. Devastation plain upon their faces, and she can't even talk through the oxygen mask covering her face. Not that she understands why she needs that infernal contraption anyway. There's nothing to be done.

 _Beep._

Reflecting on her life, Athena can't help but wonder. Had she led a good life? Had she made a difference in the world?

 _Beep._

...yes.

Her hearing is fading. She had lost her ability to hear emotions in her sixties, but now her hearing is fading completely. She sees the doctor say something to her children, and with tears in their eyes, they turn to look at her.

 _Beep._

...is the heart rate monitor slowing down? Of course it is. She can feel it herself. Her heart, beating more erratically in her chest. Skipping beats. Shutting down.

They say most people are afraid to die. Athena isn't. She has led a good life, and thanks to her experiences with the Kurain Channeling school, she is confident in an afterlife where she will once again meet all she had loved and lost. _Mom. Junie. Aura. Hugh. Iris. Nick. Apollo. Simon._

 _...Apollo. Simon._

And with that thought, a wave of inexplicable calm washes over her, along with a wave of darkness. It's time. The last she hears is the heart rate monitor's beeping degenerating into a continuous whine.

 _...beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep..._

* * *

White. Why is everything white? The floor, the ceiling, the walls... everything is white. She stretches her arms in front of her, tosses a strand of red hair over her shoulder and... wait, red hair?

She tentatively looks herself over. Yes, she has reverted into a more youthful appearance. And then she hears their voices.

"Athena!"

"Thena!"

"Princess!"

"Over here!"

All of them, sporting youthful appearances and serene smiles. Her mother, beaming at her. Aura, standing by her mother's side, maybe a _little_ closer than workplace ethics dictated... but she isn't going to pry, not quite yet. Junie. Hugh.

Iris and Nick, her associates from work and the two she had come to regard almost as a second set of parents. Their embraces are parental, firm and loving.

And when she feels the arms of her husband envelop her from behind, she turns around and kisses him like she hasn't kissed him since before dementia took hold of him. The others chuckle and turn around to give them some privacy.

And afterward, when the two break apart, Athena hears a loud chuckle and a yell. "YOU'RE FINE!"

Athena turns towards the voice, sees the source of it; her mouth splits into a wide grin and tears of happiness fall from her eyes as she runs towards him.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **Well, that came out slower than I hoped. Sorry about that. I've had a bit of a lull in creativity lately.**

 **Anyway, that's the end of the _Justice_ trilogy! I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **For those who have stuck around with the series, you have my heartfelt thanks.**

 **EDIT: Changing a mathematical error and making sure I stick to present tense continuously. Apparently, when posting a fanfic at 2 AM, I do not know how to English or math. :3**


End file.
